besocke



y 1941- R. BESOCKE 2,250,743

CLASP Filed Sept. 30, 1939 In ven lor. Ric/lard flesocke.

Patented July 29, 1941 VEFUINITED STATES PATENT orrice 'oLAs1 I Richard. Besocke, Arcadia, Galih as sig nor to i l {HQ -Helbush I Application September 30, 1939, Serial Nb. 297,307.

3 Claims. (0124-421 My invention relates to clasps and, more particularly, to clasps for detachable application to the collar of a shirt or the like to hold its ends in position with respect to a necktie or the like and is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 269,603, filed April 24, 19-39.

It is a shortcoming of prior art clasps that they are difiicult of application and that they will not securely and positively hold a collar in place after being applied. While clasps which are capable of securely gripping a garment are known, such devices are extremely difiicult of application and are inherently of such bulky construction that they constitute an unattractive item to wear.

An object of my invention is to overcome those shortcomings by providing a clasp which embodies simple and positive means of retaining the collar in place after being applied to it, which is easy to apply and remove, and which is simple, compact and economical of manufacture. Other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description of one presently preferred embodiment, for which purpose I refer to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an end view taken from line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing my device gripping a collar or the like;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the gripping fingers; and

Fig, 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In general, my present invention involves the use, on the clamping arm of a clasp device such, for instance, as is described in my said copending application, of a toothed rockable, gripping member which automatically adapts itself to any thickness of material which it has to grip and which securely grips and retains in place the collar orother article on which it is used.

In the drawing, 5 designates a channeled bar,-

the opposite side walls of which are provided with central enlarged portions 6 to provide a deepen-' ing of the channel I at that point for mounting and housing the inner ends of the clamping fingers to be described.

Mounted longitudinally along the bottom of the channel 1, I provide a pair of leaf springs 8, 9, each of which is secured in position in the channel by crimping a portion of the inner side of the channel wall, as shown at Ill. The inner end of each of the springs is upwardly bowed, as shown at 8a, Set for the purposes which will hereinafter appear. Mounted within the channel, I provide a pair of oppositely disposed gripping fingers IE, IS, each of which is pivotally connected to the opposite enlarged portions 6 of the channel walls by means of cross 'pins l8. The inner end of each of the fingers is provided with a substantially plane surface 22 against which the respective upwardly bowed spring portions 8a, 9a bear when the device is in open position, so that the fingers are thus'held in open position until they are manually pressed towards the bar, which movement brings the opposite surface 23 of the inner finger end into engagement with the bowed portion of the spring so that the fingers are thus held against the bar by the spring.

Thus far the construction described is substantially like that shown in my said copending application Serial Number 269,603. My present invention is concerned particularly with the improvement now to be described.

Between the ends of each of the grip-ping fingers IE, IS, I mount a U-shaped shoe 25, the

bottom edges of whose side walls are provided with gripping teeth 26. The side walls of the shoe are preferably wider than the width of the fingers so as to provide a channel 21 which is deeper than the width of the fingers to permit the device to rock about its pivotal connection to the fingers, said connection being efiected by means of cross pin 28. This shoe therefore automatically adjusts itself so that its teeth rest evenly throughout its length against any thickness of fabric or other material M which it is to grip and also, by virtue of its rockability, the

greater the pull on the clasp tending to displace,

it from the fabric, the more effectively will the shoe grip the material. This construction also enables the gripping member to be made of relatively thin material and thus provides for sharper gripping teeth. The outer end of each of the shoes 25 is preferably inwardly curved as shown at 30 to permit of sliding the clasp onto the collar without the necessity of opening the gripping fingers.

To remove the device from a collar or the like, it is only necessary to lift the fingers l5, Hi.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come Within the legs of the shoe defining said open end Dre-- senting a row of fabric engaging teeth. 2. A clasp of the class described comprising a channeled front bar and a rear bar pivotally' sg cured adjacent one end within the channel of the front bar, spring means mounted in the channel and bearing against said pivotally secured end of the rear bar whereby to urge the opposite end of the rear bar into the channel of the front bar, and fabric gripping means on the rear bar,

including a U-shaped shoe mounted astride the rear bar with its open end facing the front bar, each of the legs of the shoe defining said open end presenting a row of fabric engaging teeth.

3. A clasp of the class described comprising a front bar, a rear bar pivotally secured adjacent its inner end to the front bar, spring means on one of said bars and urging the outer end of the rear bar towards the front bar, and a U-shaped shoe astride the rear bar with its open end towards the front bar, said shoe being plvotally secured to the rear bar to rock thereon about a transverse axis and having its closed end spaced above the rear bar a sufiicient distance to permit a predetermined amount of said rocking, the ends of the legs of said shoe which define its open end each presenting a row of teeth having their fabric engaging ends disposed towards the inner end of the front bar.

RICHARD BESOCKE. 

